President Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement has been met with concern and disappointment across the Irish political spectrum.

Following the announcement late yesterday evening, Minister for Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten expressed his disappointment and concern with the decision.

“This is a major setback for the international community and it is essential that the decision of the United States does not weaken global resolve,” he said.

The Minister committed Ireland to working with EU partners to ensure that the Paris Agreement is a success and that the EU’s international partners “stay committed to the Agreement”.

Labour’s Climate Change spokesperson, Sean Sherlock TD, said he is “dismayed” by the decision and called on the Irish government to “up the ante with its own commitment to tackling the impact of climate change”.

“The move sends a worrying message that one of the major global powerhouses, the United States, has decided to withdraw from the deal in its current form,” he added.

Sinn Féin MEP, Lynn Boylan said that the decision was “disturbing” yet “hardly surprising” and highlights Mr Trump’s “ignorance to science, facts and what is now considered a self-evident truth”.

“The USA is the second largest greenhouse gas polluter in the world,” she added. “The failure to recognise and address this by the new US administration constitutes a severe weakening of its credibility on the world stage.”

Yesterday, the Green Party leader Eamon Ryan TD said that the EU should consider sanctions against the US if Mr Trump withdrew from the Agreement.

Mr Ryan added: “He is making America a rogue state, that is now shamed within the international community.”

“If the reported withdrawal from the agreement proves true then our Government must come together with our European colleagues to consider what sanctions we should apply on the US administration,” he added.

Friends of the Earth (FoE) Ireland and Stop Climate Chaos, together with the Green Party, will hold a protest tomorrow at 1pm at the Embassy of the United States in Dublin.

About the Author

Niall Sargent

Niall is the Editor of The Green News. He is a multimedia journalist, with an MA in Investigative Journalism from City University, London